Legal Fight Over 'Melbourne City' Name Will Be Lost, IP Expert, Professor Says

A "legal expert has declared that any action" a suburban football club takes against "newly renamed" A-League side Melbourne City Football Club over its name "has almost no chance of succeeding," according to Alana Schetzer of THE AGE. Suburban club Melbourne City is "considering applying for an injunction" against the former Melbourne Heart, which "changed its name to Melbourne City last week." The change -- "which also includes a new badge and blue-and-white home kit -- was long expected" after Man City "bought the struggling club" for a reported A$12M ($11.3M) earlier this year. But the "suburban club has refused to give up its name" -- which it has played under since '91 -- "without a fight and has hired trademark experts Cooper Mills Lawyers to take up its case to stop the A-League club playing under the same name" (THE AGE, 6/15).